Three hour rehearsals are held once a week. They usually start with Professor Racy leading the Ensemble in call-response passages that outline the various maqâmât (melodic modes) and iqa'ât (rhythmic modes), followed by pieces from the Ensemble's repertoire. Although musical notation is used, considerable emphasis is placed on the cultivation of aural skills.

Ensemble members come from the Ethnomusicology Department, the greater UCLA student body, and the local community. The performers often form smaller musical groups that bring the Ensemble's music to audiences outside the university.